Chapter 8: The Nemesis
Without much information, he wanders through the streets looking at ice cream shops from the street. He wonders which one will be the right one and ends up picking up his cell phone in search of his most trusted accomplice.
"What are you doing? How about some ice cream?"
"Have you already forgotten what I told you on Thursday?"
"You told me something?"
Suguru sighs on the other end of the cell phone and after pulling himself together and steeling his patience, he turns to Satoru again.
"We're visiting relatives in Okinawa, remember? my aunt? mom's older sister?"
"Ah..." he replies and hangs up without further ceremony. "Nanami?" he says and then listens to the tone. " He hung up on me?" he wonders with annoyance and moves on to the next candidate. "Yu!" he extends a polite and especially euphoric invitation as he walks side to side along the sidewalk in front of a park. "Already had plans? Okay..." he replies and says goodbye, "Shoko! How are you? Huh? A date? Sure..."
He begins to feel uneasy, his list of friends is getting dangerously short and time is running out. He watches the clock on his cell phone screen and wonders how much longer it will be before the pair meet at one of the ice cream parlors he has marked on the map.
"Utahime," he says as he smiles and immediately hears her shouting from the other side, "woke up on the wrong side of the bed today? Don't tell me I'm interrupting something, as if you're on a date. Of course not, not with that temper. Listen, don't you think it's a great day for ice cream? Huh? A cold? Well, I'm not a fortune teller. Oh, you've been gone all week... I hadn't noticed. Right, well, yeah, sorry, see you Monday."
He takes a seat on a bench in front of a water fountain and lets his body stretch far and wide as he thinks about who else he can call at this hour.
After calling Itadori and Megumi he is about to give up, they both have an important exam the following week and Fushiguro explicitly forbade Itadori to take the afternoon. He couldn't even get hold of Ijichi, which makes him feel completely miserable.
One last name rings inside his head, though it makes him feel like he's about to hire a service.
"Mei Mei?" he asks in anticipation of rejection. "Ice cream, what you say?"
"Depends, are you asking me out on a date?"
"No."
"I assume you've already called Suguru and Shoko, and many other names before mine."
"Good guess, Mei Mei."
"I've already seen you eat sweets alone, why do you need company to eat ice cream this time?"
Satoru, completely out in the open and knowing almost perfectly the person he's talking to decides on the route that exposes him the least.
"How much do you want?"
"For how long do you need my company?"
"Maybe two hours."
"Maybe? That implies the possibility of extra time. "
"How much Mei Mei?"
"Nothing Gojo Satoru can't afford. Tell me the address and I'll be there in twenty minutes."
"Done."
As promised, after only fifteen minutes, Mei Mei steps out of a black vehicle before Gojo's uninterested gaze. He has never been too fond of the idea of his friends appreciating him for his money and Mei Mei is usually very explicit about it.
She wears a black button-up shirt with lace detailing and a long-pleated skirt that moves in time with her hips. Her exuberant swaggering figure doesn't cause him the slightest furtive thought, but he can't deny that she has stolen all the glances of the very old men walking down the same sidewalk.
She watches him with a smile that he's always found a little creepy. Mei Mei is too analytical for her age, and too observant. Sometimes it feels like she has eyes everywhere.
"Is this the ice cream shop?" she asks, stopping, dropping all her weight on one leg and resting one hand on her hip. Glances at the sign: light blue background and white letters with a pink outline, a chocolate ice cream popsicle in one of its corners.
"I don't know yet," he says and ponders for a moment before continuing. "We may have to go to a couple more," he confesses.
"Are we looking for something? Uhm..." she mumbles as she deliberates. "There's no reason you'd need a companion if it were an object. It's a person you're looking for. I don't think it's someone who works in an ice cream shop... you could take a look through the windows by yourself without arousing suspicion. You're looking for someone who went to eat at one, is she on a date, is she with friends? Judging by the degree of desperation you've reached I'll bet all my money that you're after a girl and I have a vague recollection of someone in your circle of friends who happens to be going on a date this weekend. Why are you chasing after Miwa Kasumi?"
Completely petrified, Satoru is at a loss for words. Then he ends up smiling after coming out of his surprise and his teeth gleam as he smiles.
"You are a master of deduction. Well, since almost all the cards are on the table I'm going to be completely honest. Miwa is going out with Muta, a freshman. That boy isn't a whisker honest and I'd like to keep an eye on him."
Mei Mei laughs softly, then covers her lips and lets out a laugh.
"Is that your attempt to be completely honest, Gojo Satoru?"
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing that really matters at the moment. I won't share your secret with anyone, if the thought ever crossed your mind."
"But my bill increased, I assume."
"No, the bill is the same. Just keep in mind that you're in my debt."
"A favor? Don't you prefer money?"
"Gojo Satoru, there are many kinds of values. Money is one of them, but a favor from someone who is going to inherit an empire can be exponentially more valuable than a couple of thousand yen."
"Well, as you wish. Shall we begin?"
"I propose we split up. Give me the list of ice cream shops you have in mind and we'll cover more ground that way. But let me make it clear, this doesn't change my rate. We may be done with this sooner than expected."
"Of course not..." he answers uncomfortably, as he shares with Mei Mei the map of the ice cream shops he had in mind.
"I'll call you if I see them. We'll have to pretend we're on a date."
"Why?"
"Any idiot would realize we're there to spy on them. Miwa is naive, she'll instantly believe that we're on a date and that it's just a coincidence that we're meeting. Muta-kun will know the reason why we'll be there if we don't put on a play."
"Is that completely necessary?"
"Do you want her to know you're spying on her? What's the cost of your dignity?"
By this time, Gojo had come to feel that he actually had no dignity left at all, so clinging to the last of it, he nods. Immediately afterwards they both set off on opposite paths and stroll through the streets looking at all the ice cream parlors Satoru had marked on the map.
He walks almost without questioning too much the reason why he is chasing them, as if Kasumi is actually being unfaithful to him. He continually convinces himself that his intentions are legitimate. No one with such an ugly scar on his face can be a good person, or maybe that's the impression Toji Fushiguro has left on him.
After subtly strolling outside the third ice cream shop, his cell phone rings inside his pocket, playing the intro song to Chainsawman, his favorite anime. Mei-Mei's name lights up the screen.
"Well?"
"Ice Uoca," she replies in a soft tone, watching from afar as the young couple walk in together.
"On my way."
With giant strides, Satoru arrives in record time at the shop. His accomplice waits for him, filing her nails, leaning against a store wall. She looks up with mild interest and closes her eyes.
"Let's go in," he says hastily.
"If I may say so," she says with her eyes closed and moves on to file the next nail. "I think we should give them a few minutes..."
The idea of giving Kokichi Muta more lead time near Kasumi seems inconceivable to him. He's not sure how much ground he could gain when he himself has left the field considerably clear. Of course, he wasn't expecting him to make his move right at the precise moment when their discussion took place.
Mei-Mei senses Satoru's irritation and calmly maintains her smile.
"Won't it be too obvious if we go in at the same time as them?"
"It took me ten minutes to get here."
"What could they have done in ten minutes? Look at the menu?" she questions, looking him in the eye.
His light blue eyes look uncomfortable for a moment when he doesn't dare to maintain eye contact. The annoyance on Satoru's face is more evident than the anxiety he feels about interrupting that date. But he doesn't seem too inclined to antagonize Mei-Mei. He clicks his tongue and folds his arms, leans in next to his companion and tries to think of something different.
"Patience is bitter," she says in a soft tone, "but its fruit is sweet."
After fifteen minutes, Satoru is about to enter the store himself, but Mei-Mei seems to have determined that they have spent enough time outside to make their entrance more convincing.
He watches her take the first step and then stops and stares at him.
"Walk beside me," she tells him in the same spooky, suggestive tone.
As she does so, for the first time Satoru feels the awkwardness of pretending to be on a date. He admits for a moment that he doesn't like the idea of giving Kasumi that impression but then remembers that she has agreed to go out with this loser to make his hair stand on end. There is no other explanation that justifies a date with a poor fucker like him.
As he passes through the doorway he makes a superhuman effort not to look for her with his eyes. His back becomes a bundle of knots as Mei-Mei intertwines her arm with his and escorts him to the dessert display.
"You have more muscular arms than I thought," she comments to him as she looks at the cakes.
"Haven't you seen me work out?"
"I admit I tend to watch Suguru more."
A strange thing lurks in her belly. It wanders restlessly, and pitches around inside as if falling through a void. Her hands shake from time to time and it becomes almost impossible to hold his gaze.
On the other side of the table he seems to be in the same situation. Both with their hands under the table, alternating their gaze between the wooden table and the eyes of their companion.
Kasumi takes the opportunity to look out the window trying in vain to find a topic of conversation. But it is very difficult to come up with something interesting when what occupies her mind most of the time is someone else.
Canceling the appointment, or the very idea of doing so, was becoming more inconceivable as the hours passed. Kokichi had been nothing but friendly from the moment she met him and seemed, in turn, to be the antithesis of Gojo Satoru. While one was outgoing and outrageous, the other was introverted and quiet. Kokichi highly valued his alone time while Gojo filled every available space in his life with new people, new women too to her misfortune.
But, after her failed pseudo-relationship with him, the idea of giving a nice guy like Kokichi a chance seemed to be the right thing to do. No one would blame her for trying, even if she felt like she was erasing the traces left behind by Satoru.
Kasumi sighs subtly and gathers the strength to sketch a warm smile. There's no reason not to allow herself to have a good time with someone she truly considers a good friend.
She looks at the menu left for them as they sit down and wanders her eyes until she stops on a frozen dessert in the shape of a panda bear. It looks both adorable and appetizing. When she is ready to tell Kokichi about her choice, she looks up to meet his dark eyes riveted on the counter.
Up to this point they had done nothing more than share greetings, talk about the good weather and comment a couple of things about the science club. All this between long spaces filled with silence.
Kasumi turns her face and recognizes Gojo Satoru's back as if she had spent years studying his body. He is wearing a rather loose white T-shirt and tight pants, but what catches her attention is the girl who takes him by the arm and for a moment she wonders if it is the girl she saw at the basketball game.
Her jaw drops when she sees her profile. Mei-Mei's ethereal face is unmistakable, as is her bearing and presence. Not your typical teenager, she carries herself and moves like a experienced woman at her short seventeen years.
Although she has always struck her as one of the prettiest girls in school, she had never entertained the idea that she might be attractive to Satoru and for a moment she finds herself engrossed in the pair.
"Are you okay?" Kokichi asks quietly from across the table.
Kasumi seems to snap back to reality, rather embarrassed at having been mesmerized by the close embrace between Mei-Mei and Satoru. She strains a smile as she feels her heart starting to pound out of her chest and then turns her blue eyes to the menu.
"I'll order the kuma-chan kakigori," she says with a smile.
Kokichi doesn't smile at all, his eyes are distracted and his lips are pursed. His suspicion grows as he notices the sly way Gojo Satoru watches them from afar, raising his glasses as he turns his face over his shoulder.
"We're too far away, we won't hear what they're talking about," Satoru says with a menu in his hands.
"The kusa-an looks delicious."
"Can you hear anything?"
"Although a strawberry parfait would be more romantic, we could share it."
"Yeah, order whatever. Do you know how to read lips?"
"No, though I'd like to learn."
"To bad, did you notice something?"
"That Miwa-chan is extremely cute, she ordered a dessert that's shaped like a bear. Ice cream... peach ears. Are you attracted to her because of how innocent she is?"
Satoru rests a hand on his chin and looks at the other couple with a certain nonchalance. He doesn't even seem to make an effort to conceal his presence. Perhaps this is because Kasumi is turning her back on him.
"I like her because she's a good person," he says without feeling the need to hide. Mei-Mei has already seen it all, but he is still not completely willing to reveal to her the lesser parts of their relationship.
"She must have ordered vanilla. She seems like the vanilla type of girl, don't you think?
Satoru arches an eyebrow without answering her.
"Kokichi is watching us," she says calmly.
"I know. I want him to know I'm watching."
As a female employee approaches Kokichi and Kasumi, Miwa's blue eyes wander around the room. She has already seen him, but made a super human effort to avoid him. Uncomfortable at the idea that he might actually be having a date with none other than Mei-Mei. She's more scattered than she'd like, glanced at the menu several more times even after ordering, and bites her lips compulsively.
"We can leave if you're uncomfortable," Kokichi tells her quietly and makes her feel completely embarrassed.
She looks into his eyes, his gaze reflecting a hint of sorrow. He probably feels more sorry for the situation than she herself does, still unaware of the nature of the relationship between Miwa and Gojo. His very appearance makes her feel guilty. She has accepted a date on impulse, pushed by the rejection of the same boy currently dating one of her classmates. The right thing to do at this instant, when guilt stirs her insides, would be to say goodbye to Kokichi after a sincere apology, but her tongue seems to be trapped behind tight lips.
Kasumi denies. Satoru doesn't deserve her ruining what could be a splendid afternoon with a great guy, having a dessert she'd never tasted before.
"It looks like Gojo-san has finally asked someone out," she says after regaining her composure. A smile spreads across her face, she picks up her spoon and pours herself a portion. "I feel so sorry for eating it, it looks so cute. And I'm sure it must have taken a lot of work."
He smiles back, though he's not too convinced that she's entirely comfortable. He desists, sighs softly and glances out of the corner of his eye at the couple on the other side.
Mei-Mei crosses her legs. Her strawberry parfait on the table and inside it two spoons. She is quick and stealthy, and carefully extends a spoon to Satoru, who has not had the discretion to order anything.
"Eat from my dessert, Satoru. Don't break the illusion."
Frustrated, Satoru pops a strawberry into his mouth unaware that Kasumi has glanced at him. Far was he from seeing himself from her perspective. Sitting a few feet away without acknowledging her existence, sharing a flamboyant dessert served in a long glass cup, ice cream, whipped cream and strawberries.
For Kasumi it would be impossible at this moment to properly articulate in words what is turning her stomach. And that is, seeing the person who has been taking her sleep away from her for many nights publicly going out with another person, after having done unspeakable things with her body, is nothing but the most sickening mixture of guilt, shame and the onset of a huge inferiority complex.
What is it about Mei-Mei that has prompted Satoru to ask her out? With her he never had such gallantry, but rather the opposite.
They are there, together, alone, talking in whispers and eating from the same plate like a pair of lovebirds.
Kasumi admits, with embarrassment-which is not her own-that Mei-Mei may be interested in him, not because of his looks or personality, but rather because of his last name and his father's bank account. And she supposed that Satoru could not be foolish enough to fall at the feet of a woman with such intentions. However, Satoru is no more hormonal than the next boy. Mei-Mei is probably one of the most attractive girls in the entire high school. She finds it unavoidable to mentally compare her bra size to Mei-Mei's, she's taller, curvier, has a posture and a walking cadence that she couldn't mimic even with a year of training.
Maybe it's that Satoru has always liked her, but not the way he liked her. He doesn't like her to grope her on the sly, but to display her in a public place in full view of everyone.
It is quite difficult for Kasumi to come to this conclusion in full view of Kokichi, disguising the way her eyes begin to water.
It is quite difficult for Kasumi to come to this conclusion at the sight of Kokichi, disguising the way her eyes begin to water.
He, on the other hand, can see everything with the most perfect precision. Both he and Mei-Mei can observe the situation unfolding in front of their eyes and draw an unmistakable deduction in unison. Kasumi and Satoru have feelings for each other that they are unwilling to admit, or not completely. And as Kokichi miserably watches the way Kasumi wipes the corner of her eye warily, Mei-Mei smirks mischievously, lifting her chin and analyzing the furtive way Satoru watches his nemesis out of the corner of his eye.
Kasumi, stomach churning unwillingly paces her spoon in front of the bear made of ice cream that is beginning to melt. It no longer looks cute now that its peach ears have flopped sideways and one of its eyes is sliding across its belly.
"You don't have to finish it if you're not hungry," Kokichi tells her, interrupting her thoughts.
"I'm embarrassed that I ordered something so big and not finished it," she admits, unable to look up, and puts a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.
Maybe it's her mother's constant reproaches, but for Kasumi it has always been important not to waste food. She cannot, of course, admit this to Kokichi. But he doesn't seem to need any explanation. Originally Kokichi ordered green tea, no accompaniment. And for some reason Kasumi's comment results in a sort of spell that forces him to clean his spoon to help her finish eating that half-melted bear.
Seeing him making an effort to finish it in big bites steals a smile from her. He seems determined to help her, even though she doesn't know that what Kokichi wants most is to get her out of the reach of Gojo Satoru's impertinent eyes.
"Do you like ice cream?"
"Not particularly," replies Kokichi.
Kasumi's stomach is not the only one upset inside the ice cream shop. Satoru feels his belly sinking into a void when Kokichi dips his spoon into Miwa's dessert.
"Can you believe it?" he whispers to Mei-Mei.
"His roughness gives him a certain charm."
"Huh? Didn't you get a good look at it?"
"Yes, I'm watching him carefully. But you know something, Satoru. Those guys who don't care much about their looks usually have a couple of good things going for them."
"What? -What are you talking about?"
"I don't know," she answers in a purr, interlacing the fingers of her hands and propping herself up on her elbows on the table. Gently dropping her chin between her fingers, she slides her eyes to Kokichi. "Look at him, he's unrefined, he's aggressive, he seems a little haughty, he doesn't need anyone. Don't you find that attractive?"
"All I see is a cocky little jerk."
"Maybe Kasumi-chan likes cocky jerks."
"Do you think Kasumi likes this guy?"
Mei-Mei shrugs her shoulders.
-I'm just saying, if she liked him, I'd understand why.
Kokichi has gone from cloying to the next thing, but it all makes sense seeing the tender smile on Kasumi's face. He grabs a napkin and quickly wipes his lips.
"We can go now," he says and stands up to pay the bill.
His date nods and waits, but not before taking a last glance at the table where the other couple sits, but regrets it almost immediately when her eyes meet Mei-Mei's. She, far from being self-conscious, widens her smile and raises a hand to greet her.
"What are you doing?" Satoru asks and turns to see Kasumi's almost petrified face, an awkward, crooked smile, and her right hand raised and shaking as if the joint was rusty.
"Let's go say hello, Satoru. Don't forget your manners."
Seeing Mei-Mei stand up and walk gracefully to the free chair in front of Kasumi manages to lower his heart rate. But he can't show dismay at the wide eyes of his former lover. So he follows in his companion's footsteps and remains standing next to the table.
"Did we interrupt your date Kasumi-chan?" Mei-Mei asks with a charming smile on her face and Kasumi can't help blushing from ear to ear, but denies.
"We were just about to leave."
"So soon? Satoru and I just finished eating, what do you say we make this a double date?"
Kasumi's date arrives just in time to answer for her.
"No, thanks."
Kasumi, on the verge of hyperventilating, gets up from the table and says goodbye as cordially as possible. Such are her manners that she is unable to notice the glance that Kokichi and Gojo hold the whole time, and it is not until they leave the store that she can breathe again. She instinctively brings a hand to her chest, as if it might do something to help slow down her racing heartbeat. And when she finally looks up, he is there waiting with a calm smile.
She seems to have caught her breath, as if all the oxygen inside the ice cream parlor has vanished, and she finally takes a breath of fresh air. Her face revitalizes though she can't help but take one last glance at Mei-Mei inside the store along with Satoru.
"They look good together, I mean... they're... they're a cute couple. She's really pretty, don't you think?" Kasumi asks, starting to walk in any direction.
Kokichi frowns.
"She's weird."
"Weird?"
"Yes, she has a strange presence, but I guess she's ideal for someone like Gojo."
Kasumi laughs intentionally.
"Ideal for him?"
"Yes, they both seem like bad people to me."
"Why do you think so?"
He shrugs, avoids answering and puts both hands in his pockets as he walks beside her. He thinks about where they are going and realizes that Gojo has ruined the only half-decent date idea he had come up with. The movie theater, after thinking about it, seemed most impersonal to him, and he also doesn't know which genre she'll like best. He could no longer, even if he wanted to, put a bite of anything in his mouth. Caught at the crossroads of what his next steps should be, he stops when he sees Kasumi stepping into the way.
"What do you say we go to the arcade? You like that sort of thing, don't you?"
Kokichi nods and suddenly lets Kasumi guide him.
On the other side of the block, Satoru watches them from afar, excited, smiling. Mei-Mei walks out the door with a piece of paper in her hands and a pen, writes down a number and then deposits the paper in his hands. She folds her arms and stops next to him, lining her lascivious eyes at Gojo's target.
"Call me if you need me. You know my rate."
Not long after, the same dark vehicle picks up Mei-Mei and Satoru remains wandering the street wondering where that idiot could have taken his tutor. No longer in the mood to play private detective, though. He hadn't even had a bite to eat and half an hour after leaving the store, he ends up at a street food stall ordering a fried sausage.
The only one to come out of the situation successful has been Mei-Mei, but not only financially, she has also managed to insert a poisonous idea inside Satoru's mind. Could it be possible that Kasumi really likes a rough guy like Kokichi Muta? The idea that he might get his hands on the innocent Kasumi turns his stomach enough to end up throwing the sausage in the trash.
"Crap..." he says wiping the corner of her lips when her cell phone starts ringing. "Ijichi?"
"Gojo-san. I have news, I think I found out something..."
"What are you talking about?"
"Did you forget already? Uhm..." he whispers, "It's about Muta-kun. I think you were right, he's definitely involved in something... illegal."
Author's note:
Hi! It's been a while since I updated this story.
After the infamous manga events I've been having a hard time thinking about fics I wrote within the canon, so I decided to pick up this one. Thank you all for your comments!
everyone for your comments! I hope you like the chapter and forgive my grammatical and spelling mistakes
grammatical and spelling mistakes. Have a nice weekend!